1. Field of the Invention
In many models of pickup trucks, a spare tire is stored and suspended adjacent the under side of the pickup truck bed adjacent the rearward end thereof. This is accomplished by a hoist equipped carrier which engages the spare tire including a cable extending therefrom and a rotative drive arranged upon a first axis connected to the cable for selectively extending and retracting the cable. Selective rotation of the rotative drive winds the cable up or extends it for alternately raising or lowering the spare tire.
The hoist mechanism includes a rearwardly extending crankshaft having a socket at its rearward end to be engaged in driving relationship by a portable crank inserted through a hole in the rear bumper and engaging the crankshaft for rotating the rotative drive winding up or paying out the cable. However, substitute handles have frequently been used by unauthorized persons for lowering the spare tire and carrier.
Further a crankshaft of such a spare tire hoist may be engaged, as by a pipe wrench or the like, and angularly rotated by an unauthorized person. In some spare tire hoist installations, the cable is exposed and may be cut, as by a bolt cutter, thus, allowing unauthorized access to the spare tire.
This invention shields the spare tire raising and lowering mechanism against unauthorized access thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most pertinent prior patent is believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,995, issued Jan. 7, 1992, to Appelbaum for LOCK FOR SPARE TIRE HOIST. This patent provides a locking mechanism which extends between the rearward end of the socket equipped cable actuating shaft and the access hole in a pickup truck bumper.
The present invention is distinctive over this and similar hoist lock shielding patents by providing a lockable shaft extending through the bumper access opening the rearward end of the cable winding up and paying out shaft in which sleeves surround the lock shaft and cable actuating crankshaft precluding access to the lock, as by a bolt cutter, and preventing access to the lock shaft and crankshaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,894, issued Apr. 27, 1976, to Mendez for SPARE TIRE HOIST and U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,555, issued Aug. 27, 1985, to Combs for WIRE ROPE SPARE TIRE CARRIER are examples of the further state-of-the-art.
The Mendez patent features a crankshaft journalled by the vehicle frame which includes hook equipped cables engageable with the wheel of a spare tire and secured to the crankshaft which when rotated in respective directions winds up or pays out the cable for raising and lowering a spare tire relative to the vehicle frame.
The Combs patent discloses pulleys and a cable arrangement connected at one end with a spare tire and its other end with a lever mounted on the rearward bumper in which pivotal movement of the lever extends and retracts the cable to lower or raise the spare tire.